And while we're on kids lunches, why do so many parents send packed lunches?

[Monkeybird]

...not being controversial, just actually want to know. My school offers pretty good quality meals with good, balanced, healthy options. We can afford the cost and it's much less hassle than making sarnies etc.

I've never understood - other than the cost issue (is that it for everyone?) - why so many parents don't use the meals. The service at my school is actually at risk I reckon because fewer and fewer kids use it.

and of course we wouldnt be able to have a

what does your child ahve in his lunch box/sandwhiches thread

I remember in primary school that school dinner and packed lunch eaters were seated differently so I chose packed lunches based on who I wanted to sit with / being able to run around the playground a bit more at lunchtime.

We started DS pack lunches Mon-thur and school dinner on friday (so he was with different people to eat and as a tester for him). He lasted 1year like this, then said he didn't want school dinners anymore. Can't say i blame him. We too had a taster. Dryed out, boring, bland....

dd has dinners, generally she always has had school dinners in winter, sndwiches in summer so she can sit outside.

But, her primary had an excellent kitchen, school was comitted to providing organic, locally sourced and properly cooked food all the time and the food was delish (all way before jamie Oliver at al), and parents could turn up for school dinner if they wanted to eat with their kids - such a great idea.

However, I imagine schools like that are few and far between. DD is at senior school now and it is no way as good as her primary.

Yeah B1977

That is an issue - see my son has also started asking for a lunchbox, just because he can then get out to play quicker. Seems to me the school has to get better organised about this too...

maybe we just have a great school kitchen and I've got a good eater... but it seems a shame that such services are under threat to me, when they are good quality.

For me, it's because DS has hypermobility which means he has difficulty with gross and fine motor skills

Getting the tray, drink, cutlery, carrying it, using the cutlery, etc etc would all be difficult and wearing for him and school is challenging enough for him as it is (almost no allowance made for his difficulties despite Ed Psych involvement) so I don't want lunchtime to be another 'hurdle' for him

So packed lunch it is

I wouldn't have eaten the school dinners where I taught. It was all tasteless crap. Really shocking quality.

This was the school where the reception teacher used to turn her home corner into a MacDonalds . I'm not joking btw.

You say most people can afford them, yes I could afford them but we'd have to give something up in order to afford them IYSWIM. If the £1 I would def take up on them. The irony is it's a vicious circle, if they were less expensive more people would choose them then they would become cheaper.......

I've had 2 school dinners and they are okay but the portions are very small IMO

We live in France and we're not allowed to take packed lunches, it's either eat in the canteen or go home for lunch and as school is 6 miles away the DC's have to stay for lunch. They enjoy their lunch and do have a healthy three course meal BUT it so expensive and easily my largest outgoing every month. I buy two books of restaurant tickets and each book has ten tickets so twenty meals a time and to do that for two children costs me £150 every three weeks. No wonder I'm permanently skint. Saying that however, they do normally just have sandwich, yoghurt or fruit for tea unless I'm starving myself and make a dinner.

the thing that annoys me though is that a lot of parents pay for their child to have a hot meal and most of them go for a sandwich most days!

I would be furious if I was paying £1.75 for a ham sandwich that I could make at home for £0.25p!!!!

DS had school lunches to start with. Then he decided the canteen is too noisy and he wanted to have more time to play, so it's packed lunches now. It's a shame as he got to taste more varied food than what he wants for his sandwiches, plus extra time in the morning rush taken up by doing them.

I don't understand why you wouldn't cook dinner if they had school lucnhes. What's wrong with two hot meals a day?

My DD started as School Dinners...but she kept complaining it wasn't nice...plus they have it in Prisoner plates...so by the time it's pud time it's cold...£7.50 a week for 2?...no way...I rather give them a nice fat sarnie,fruit,yogurt and biscuit with a fruit juice...much cheaper and I know they will eat most of it...I hate wasting food

They wouldn't eat two dinners a day. I made a lovely dinner last night because DS1 had been on a school trip all day, they ate half of it and asked if I'd make banana sandwiches tonight instead. I couldn't eat a three course meal in the middle of the day and then another dinner on a night as well, so I suppose it's a bit much to expect the DC's to do the same.

Mostly because I'm an organic, grow/butcher-your-own food ponce.

But also DD1 has allergies and the menu appears to feature egg everyday.

God my very active son would eat 3 hot lunches/dinners a day if given the chance!

DD1 would have packed lunches every day

DD2 would have school dinners

I compromise - Mon & Fri packed

other days school dinners.

Allergies, fair enough. But food ponce? I'm a bit of a food ponce also (for all my 'cocopops can be a meal' allegiances ) and wouldn't do it were it only shite food. But when schools are making such an effort to improve stuff and then parents are not supporting this (and it has got worse recently I think) it is a shame.

I'm not suggesting all schools serve good quality lunches but I bet this is a pattern all over the country....

The food they serve seems good and healthy at my DDs school...but if they don't eat it?...I'm sorry I can't afford to support something that my children are not eating...They get a good home cook meal everyday

My dd (4.10) loves her school dinners ! She has a choice of 2 main courses, one being the veggie option and a cooked pud, yoghurt or fruit. The meals are freshly cooked with meat bought freshly from a local butcher.
She was desperate to try packed lunches but after just 1 day pleaded to have school dinners again! Unfortunately, she's in the minority - only about 7 in her reception class of 25 have them.
She's in a city school btw, and I'm really impressed!

Madamy - hurrah! At least one like mind!

I must admit that at £1.85 a day, they're not exactly cheap. At the mo, I've only got 1 to pay for.
However, the variety of food is admirable. I'm quite amazed at how often she picks the veggie choice considering veggies are practically a swear word at home!

I'd love to be able to afford it, getting them to try new foods, not having to make them etc etc

ds had school dinners every day when we were living in the UK. He really liked it, but then he likes hot food, more than sandwiches.

My dd (4) says they are better than my cooking and She loves them, particularly the homemade bread they can have with each meal. She used to be fairly picky at home but now eats nearly anything. I must admit though, I did say there was no way I was making a packed lunch for her!